California Temporary Cash Assistance For Needy Families

California TANF Progam Assistance Overview

TANF was created to help families in need. The TANF bureau works with families to help them become self sufficient.
TANF's program features include:

  1. Assisting needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes.
  2. Preventative measures for out of wedlock pregnancy.
  3. The encouragement of two parent families.
  4. Reduction of the dependency of needy parents by assisting with job preparation.


California Cities With Local TANF Assistance Offices



CalWORKs is a California's state version of the TANF program
CalWORKs program Applications - California


California TANF Benefits There is a maximum of 60 months of TANF assistance benefits within one's lifetimes. There is oftentimes a differentiation between adults and children. If you are a child and receive TANF benefits, depending on your State, you could receive another 60 months as an adult.

California TANF Eligibility Requirements
  • You must be a US Citizen.
  • Children must be citizens or have eligible alien status.
  • You must have a social security number.
  • Your family must earn less than a certain amount of money per month
  • Children must be 18 years old or younger. If you are older than 18, you must be a full time student with an expected graduation date before the age of 20. - Families must have a child under 18 living in the home. 
  • Pregnant women are eligible for TANF during the month before their due date. So, if they are due 2/28 they could apply 1/1. If they were due 8/2 they could apply 7/1.

California TANF Food Stamps
The food stamp program is a federal program run by state and local agencies. The food stamp program is for low income families only. In most states, food stamp rules are the TANF rules. If you meet the requirements for TANF, you meet the requirements for food stamps.

More Info

Core Activities

The work activity requirement applies to families with one or more adults in the assistance group. The requirement also applies to families where the adult has been sanctioned due to non-compliance with work requirements but the assistance has been continued to the children under a special hardship provision of state law.

'Child-only' families where the child lives with a relative and the needs of the relative are not included in the calculation of the benefit are not subject to the work requirement. In addition, adults who are not included in the calculation of the TANF benefit because they receive federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits or because they are ineligible non-citizens are not subject to the work requirement.

TANF Requirements Related to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Transactions
EBT cards are used to distribute welfare cash benefits function like any other debit card. They can be used at any retail establishment that accepts debit cards and can withdraw cash. More recently, states have been curtailing the use of the cards and expressly prohibiting their use in certain locations, mostly casinos, liquor stores or other gaming establishments.


  • Unsubsidized employment
  • Subsidized private sector employment
  • Subsidized public sector employment
  • Job search and job readiness (limited to not more than 6 weeks in a federal fiscal year with not more than 4 weeks consecutive).
  • Community service
  • Work experience
  • On-the-job training
  • Vocational educational training (limited to 12 months for an individual), and
  • Caring for a child of a recipient in community service Supplemental Activities
  • Job skills training directly related to employment
  • Education directly related to employment (for those without a high school or equivalent degree)
  • Completion of a secondary school program

More Helpful TANF Assistance Information

TANF Funded Services